C-SPAM

USAID funds a lot of projects worldwide, and while some have strategic or humanitarian value, others can seem questionable—especially when the U.S. has its own problems to fix. Here are a few examples of controversial or "dumb" spending by USAID:

Cartoon Shows in Afghanistan – Millions were spent on developing "Sesame Street"-style cartoons to promote tolerance and education, but they had little impact given Afghanistan's instability.

Promoting Recycling in the Philippines – The U.S. government gave millions to help the Philippines develop better waste management programs, despite America having major pollution and infrastructure issues of its own.

Art and Theater Programs in the Middle East – Funding has gone into theater and artistic expression projects in Iraq and Syria to promote social cohesion, but in war zones, people need food and security more than plays.

Bolivia’s Potato Farming Research – Millions were allocated to improve potato farming in Bolivia, even though Bolivia is one of the world’s largest producers of potatoes and has been farming them for thousands of years.

Gender Programs in Pakistan – Funds were sent to train Pakistani men about "toxic masculinity," despite deep cultural opposition and zero evidence that such programs changed anything.

Ethiopian Spice Girls – USAID helped fund an all-girl Ethiopian pop group to "empower women," but it had no real impact and the money could have been better spent elsewhere.

Cash Transfers to Foreign Citizens – Direct money transfers to people in Kenya, Haiti, and other countries to "stimulate the economy," while Americans struggle with housing and job insecurity.

Fish Farming in Nepal – The U.S. funded aquaculture programs in Nepal, a landlocked country, which didn’t make much sense compared to funding sustainable farming instead.

Training Young Leaders in Tunisia – Millions were spent on leadership programs for Tunisian youth while American schools are underfunded and struggling with teacher shortages.

Promoting LGBT Rights in West Africa – While human rights are important, USAID dumped money into places with strong anti-LGBT laws, achieving almost nothing because the cultures there strongly reject outside influence.

This is just scratching the surface. USAID often spends money in ways that seem disconnected from American interests, while many veterans, homeless people, and struggling communities in the U.S. get little help. Want to dig deeper into any of these?